Dota High School
by danceofghosts
Summary: Modern-AU Dota 2 fanfic. Sixteen-year-old Traxex's foster parents have moved over from another town, forcing her to transfer to Dota High School, where she slowly gets used to her new, colorful, and sometimes strange classmates and teachers.
1. First Day

**Chapter 1: First Day**

Traxex parked, or rather, threw her bike onto the bike rack next to the entrance of the school. Casually decked out in a navy blue hoodie and gray jeans, the teenager pushed open the front doors and headed for the office. Loose locks of pale hair fell over her eyes; there hadn't been time to comb it and so she had tied it in a loose ponytail. The morning had been a mad rush as she'd had to prepare breakfast for all fifteen members of her foster family, as well as clean up the mess after that.

The school bell rang, causing her heart to beat even faster - it was really not a good idea to be late on her very first day in a new school.

"Here you go, sweetheart," a plump, motherly looking receptionist handed her a schedule and a map of the sprawling school compounds. "Have a nice first day here at Dota High."

"Thank you, Miss …" Traxex strained to read the name on the receptionist's desk "… Arachnie."

Feeling something brush against her leg, she glanced down and saw three toddlers running around her and Ms. Arachnie.

"Brought my youngest ones along for work today," the receptionist explained. "Do you need someone to show you around?"

"I'm fine, thanks," the teenager declined politely and left the office, preferring to make her way to the classroom on her own. She was comfortable being a loner; there were some good things that came out of that - for example, she didn't miss her old school as she hadn't made any friends there.

Half-walking, half-running through the crowded halls, Traxex pushed her shoulders back, reminding herself not to slouch. Slim and lanky, she stood a head taller than anyone else at home, and had been made to feel self-conscious over it ever since she was little.

Soon, she arrived at room 204 and after checking her schedule to make sure it was the right one, she knocked on the door tentatively. A rather diminutive man in thick glasses opened the door.

"Good morning, sir," she said barely audibly. "I'm Traxex, the new student."

"Ah, you found your way here. Come on in." The man had a high-pitched voice and looked genial enough. As she entered the classroom, she felt about twenty pairs of eyes fix on her.

"Everyone, we have a new student joining us today," the teacher announced. "Her name is… track- sex," he pronounced hesitantly. "Please welcome her and help her find her way around."

She thought she could hear a few faint snickers, presumably at her name, but mentally shrugged it off. That kind of response was something she had gotten accustomed to. Her eyes quickly scanned the room, finding three empty seats, one in the middle and two at the back.

"Grab a seat and take your time to settle down. By the way, I am Professor Boush, your physics teacher."

Traxex walked down the aisle and placed her backpack beside the seat in the middle row. She decided to avoid the back row as one of the guys there looked a little odd. He had mohawk hair dyed in maroon, some kind of purple face paint matching the tight purple vest and ripped-up jeans he was wearing. Black heavy boots and two circular earrings in his left ear completed the punk look. _But what kind of punk wears all purple? _She mused.

"Okay everyone," Dr. Boush resumed his lesson as Traxex settled in her seat and pulled out her stationery and textbook. "Let's move on to the next physics problem. A meteorite falls onto Earth and strikes the ground at a speed of eleven point two kilometres per second. If the meteorite has a diameter of about three meters and a mass of two point three times ten to the power of five kilograms, what is its kinetic energy at the instant it collides with Earth's surface? Does anyone here know the answer?"

"Sir, may I?" A young man with platinum-blond hair, seated in the first row, raised his hand.

"Yes, Carl. Please go ahead."

The blond named Carl stood up and proceeded to the board where he scribbled some calculations. He wore a long white coat with gold trimmings over black jeans, and his silky shoulder-length hair reflected sunlight, which Traxex found somewhat distracting.

"Hi!" A bright, cheery voice called out to her. Traxex turned to her right to find a girl with wavy ginger hair and vivid green eyes that reminded her of the forest. "Can I call you Tracie instead?" She giggled.

"Um…. Yeah, I suppose."

"I'm Lyralei. You can call me Lyra for short!" The girl said, stealing a peek at Traxex's schedule on her desk. "Oh, it looks like we share lots of classes."

Traxex half-smiled, taken aback that someone had taken the initiative to befriend her. Flipping the pages of her physics textbook, she peered around her. Except for those in the front row, most of the students were talking or blatantly doing their own things, some reading or even taking naps. Professor Boush did not seem to care.

"That is correct. Thank you, Carl." She looked up when she heard the teacher's voice. The bleach blond was returning to his seat, and Traxex caught a glimpse of his face. He had delicate, almost feminine features and eyes almost as pale as his hair. It was surreal, and a little disturbing, looking at someone who could be a male version of herself. Back in her old school, she always stood out as the odd one in terms of appearance, but now...

"Carl is our top student," Lyralei explained, as if sensing Traxex's curiosity. "Many of us don't bother paying attention during class because he'll let us copy his homework after school," she chuckled, her emerald eyes sparkling. "Magina is the only one who doesn't want anything to do with him," she added, nodding towards the purple punk seated at the back. His face was now buried in a magazine, one leg propped up on the desk. "He totally hates Carl."

_Magina? What kind of name is that? _Finally, there was someone whose name sounded worse than hers. Traxex then turned her attention to the two girls sitting on either side of Carl. The one on his left was dressed in a red turtleneck top with bright orange hair like Lyralei's, and on his right was a blonde in a sapphire hoodie.

"The three of them - Carl, Lina and Rylai - are known as the Geek Triumvirate," Lyralei added. "They're kind of snooty."

_The geeks here sure don't look like those in Drowland, _Traxex thought. She knew she definitely didn't belong in that group anyway; her results had always been average.

She tried to concentrate on what Professor Boush was saying, but the chatter around her made it difficult. It seemed like barely any time had passed when the bell sounded, signalling the end of the class. Her classmates began spilling out of the room, but she took her time to pack up and observe the people around her.

Lyralei was now talking animatedly to two students as they made their way towards the next class. One was a tall, tanned and athletic-looking male, and the other, a chestnut-haired girl wearing a short, royal-blue designer dress that revealed a little cleavage and looked like it cost fortunes. A sparkling crescent-shaped jewel hung from a silver chain around her neck.

For some reason, Traxex was glad that the girl didn't seem to have noticed her.

* * *

><p>The next class was Math, and the teacher wasn't there yet. Traxex recognized some faces from her previous class as everyone streamed into the room.<p>

Lyralei plopped herself next to her again and started a conversation. Traxex wondered when she would ever stop talking. The ginger was starting to get on her nerves, but as a new student, there was nothing she could do but listen, or at least pretend to be interested. Her mind began to drift off when the two words "archery club" caught her attention.

"Sorry, Lyra, what did you say again?"

"I said, I'm in the archery club."

Traxex's eyes lit up for the first time that day. "I was in the archery club in my previous school. Can I join you?"

"Sure! We have practice every Friday at our indoor range."

"How do I join?"

"You can sign up at our club room after school today. Mirana will be there too!" Lyralei nodded towards the posh girl seated to her right.

At the mention of her name, Mirana turned her head towards Traxex's direction, locking her brilliant blue eyes on hers. Her high cheekbones made her look elegant, yet intimidating at the same time.

"Another Hunger-games obsessed fan?" Mirana smirked. "We've had a huge surge in membership ever since that movie came out."

Traxex could feel her cheeks growing warm. "Nope. My love for archery has nothing to do with Hunger Games," she said defensively.

"Okay then. Let's see how good you are before we accept you as a member."

"Sure," Traxex shrugged.

A stern voice cut in from the front of the classroom.

"Shut up, all of you." A bespectacled man strode into the room and slammed his file on the teacher's table. He was clad in black pants and a dark purple jacket with yellow stripes, and looked to be in his early thirties, with strong jaws and a no-nonsense expression. _Another fan of purple?_ Traxex thought. _What a kaleidoscope this place is._ But amusement turned to awe as a subdued hush fell over the entire classroom and everyone literally scrambled back in their seats. Even the punk was paying attention with both his feet on the floor. _Woah, that is one hell of a teacher_.

"Traxex." She gave a start when the teacher addressed her, his blue eyes piercing through hers. "The new student eh? You were late and missed homeroom."

"Sorry," Traxex bolted up nervously, dismayed that her lips were unable to from a coherent sentence.

"Since you're new, I'll let you off with a warning this time. Sit down."

"Thank you, sir."

"You may call me Mr Nortrom. I am your math and homeroom teacher. And as your friends will tell you, I have a very low tolerance for noise during my lesson. You are to remain silent throughout the lesson and speak only when spoken to. If I so much as catch a whisper –"

Traxex waited for him to complete his threat, but he turned around and began writing the lesson topic on the board, leaving her wondering how he managed to get all the students under his control. Whatever the case, she decided this was one teacher she didn't want to get into the wrong side of. She only wished that Math wasn't her weakest subject.

Mr Nortrom launched into a trigonometry lesson and again, Carl offered most of the answers to his questions, with the remaining answered by the two girls flanking him.

An hour flew past, and the bell rang. Upon dismissal, the students fled the classroom like prisoners being released from captivity.

"God, I hate Mr Nortrom," Lyralei grumbled as they walked towards their lockers. "His lessons are a torture. I hate it when I can't talk in class."

_I like him though,_ Traxex almost said it aloud, but stopped herself for fear of ruining their new friendship. Lyralei seemed to be the only person she could get along with, at least for now. She didn't even want to think about approaching the others.

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! For those who're not familiar with Dota hero names:<p>

Arachnie = Broodmother

Boush = Tinker

Carl = Invoker

Lyralei = Windranger

Nortrom = Silencer

Magina = Antimage


	2. PE

**Chapter 2: PE**

The hallway sounded like a beehive, bustling with people making their way to class or talking and laughing in circles. Traxex opened her new locker using the code that was given to her and placed her heavy backpack on the ground, beginning to unpack it. Lyralei, too, was arranging her belongings in her locker nearby and taking out her sports clothing for the next class, which was PE.

"Why is everyone so afraid of Mr Nortrom?" Traxex ventured to ask her new-found friend.

Lyralei looked furtively around before edging closer to her pale-haired classmate. "He punishes people who piss him off… and um… in a weird and scary way."

"So what happens if you disobey him?" Traxex's curiosity was piqued. She'd never seen a teacher like that - one whose students dared not even sneeze during his lesson.

"Well… I think I'd better not say it here."

"Why?"

"We're not supposed to even talk about it. I'll tell you later during lunch, okay?"

Traxex nodded, her brows furrowed with worry. Only two periods had gone by, and her brain already felt like it had gone through a grinder after being bombarded with all the confusing physics and math stuff that she had barely touched in her old school. And as if that wasn't enough, there was also a creepy math teacher to contend with.

"Cheer up, Tracie! You'll be fine!" Lyralei had returned to her bubbly self. "Come on, let's get changed!"

"Any idea what we'll be doing for PE?" Traxex, too, brightened up a little at the thought of getting some physical activity.

"Basketball," Lyralei groaned.

"Oh. Wish it was archery," Traxex replied wistfully.

"I know right… they introduced archery last year and I fell in love with it ever since! I'm not into basketball, but there's still something about PE class that's worth looking forward to."

"Hmm?"

"The PE teacher! Mr Sven!" Lyralei gushed. "Don't tell anyone, but I've had a crush on him since freshman year."

Traxex raised an eyebrow, but her starry-eyed friend was literally sprinting towards the gym and she followed after, barely able to keep up.

Soon, the two emerged from the changing room and reached the basketball court wearing their sports attire: black polo shirts with the school logo of a big, red division sign, black shorts and trainers. Several students were already there, doing stretching and warm-ups.

"There he is! Mr Sven!" Lyralei said excitedly. Traxex turned her gaze towards the PE instructor, noticing how her female classmates had gravitated towards him. He stood an imposing six foot five, with the shoulders of a rugby player and a strapping physique. He wore a silver cap atop his jet-black hair that framed his clean-cut, masculine features, a sky-blue polo shirt and grey sport shorts.

"Alright everyone!" Mr Sven commanded the class in a booming voice. "Time to practise the skills you learnt - ball-handling, passing, dribbling, and shooting. You have a test coming up next week. Now grab a ball and go to your stations!"

The class scattered and proceeded to various locations in the two adjoining basketball courts. Feeling lost, Traxex found herself approached by Mr Sven.

"Hello there! You must be the new student," he greeted, towering over her like a giant.

Traxex merely smiled and nodded as she looked into the teacher's steel blue eyes. She didn't feel like pronouncing her own name right now.

"Are you familiar with basketball?"

"Not really."

Mr Sven spent some time explaining the game rules before passing her a ball and releasing her to the shooting station. Traxex grabbed the ball tight and awkwardly attempted a few shots with moderate success.

Boredom was starting to take over, when she noticed a crowd gathering at the other court. She walked over to see what the commotion was about, and realized that the focus of attention was two students having a one-on-one basketball game. Traxex recognized one of them as the tanned, athletic boy talking to Lyralei and Mirana earlier that day. He had dark brown hair and was slightly shorter and leaner than the guy opposite him, who sported red hair and had a bulkier build.

The two stood watching each other intensely. The brown-haired guy was in possession of the ball, dribbling it, while his opponent squatted into a defensive stance with knees bent and arms spread out wide ready to block him.

The brown-haired player suddenly stepped to the left and his opponent darted in the same direction. However, he had fallen for a fake move, which gave the brown-haired guy the opportunity to switch the ball to his other hand. He drove to the basket, jumped into the air and shot. The ball bounced against the backboard and through the basket, temporarily giving him the lead.

It was now the red-haired player's turn to go on the offensive. His aggressiveness, height and strength made him difficult to defend against, and he scored a point easily.

The brown-haired guy had the ball next and managed to dribble it towards the goal. Just as he jumped, his opponent leaped up and snatched his ball mid-air, before landing on the court with a resounding thud. The bigger guy then maneuvered the ball across the court and scored another layup to steal the lead.

Unfazed, the smaller player succeeded in scoring his second goal after deftly looping the ball between his legs. The game was now tied.

Excitement rose among the onlookers, as the next goal would be the deciding one. As soon as the red-haired guy charged to the line, the defender darted directly into his path. The bigger guy's shoulders struck his, and he fell on the ground dramatically, staying there for a while.

Mr Sven called foul and the ball was given to the smaller guy, who smiled as he started off with faking some moves while studying the defense carefully. He then tossed the ball between his surprised opponent's legs, quickly maneuvered around him, caught the ball and scored the goal for victory.

The crowd cheered on the sidelines. _Interesting game, _Traxex thought. _I bet these two are in the school team. _The bell rang for lunch and Mr Sven dismissed everyone.

* * *

><p>The girls' changing room smelled like a mixture of sweat, shampoo and deodorant, and was filled with chatter and flesh. Traxex pulled off her socks and shoes, hesitated and decided to get changed inside the shower cubicle. She had always felt uncomfortable with changing in front of others, even if they were the same gender. Lyralei, however, didn't mind exposing herself to at least ten other girls, who were in various states of undress themselves.<p>

The water was freezing, but Traxex didn't mind it that much as she enjoyed colder temperatures. After she was done showering, she dried herself, put on her blue top and jeans and opened the door. What she saw made her gasp in shock. The winner of the basketball game was sitting on the bench, taking off his shoes and socks. _What the hell is he doing in the girls' changing room? _

"Hey Tresdin, great game today! You were amazing!" Lyralei exclaimed as she walked out of the shower stall with a towel around her.

"Thanks," said the lanky youth on the bench. "Davion said girls sucked at basketball, so I challenged him to a duel to the death!"

Traxex's jaw almost dropped upon hearing the athlete's feminine voice. _It's a SHE? _The bewildered newcomer now began to run her eyes all over the tomboy. The short hair, straight figure and height were indeed misleading, but on the other hand the smooth complexion and soft facial features …

"That'll teach him a lesson!" Lyralei chuckled as she removed her towel, again showing off her curves unabashedly.

"Poor Dave, beaten by a girl. Guess he has no chance with Mirana now," Tresdin smirked, pulling down her shorts. Traxex noticed that the tomboy undressed in a different way - after taking off her top, she wrapped herself in a towel before removing her undergarments from underneath. Then, realizing she was staring, Traxex quickly walked towards her locker and pushed her PE clothes inside.

"Pfft. I'm not into players." At the mention of her name, Mirana sauntered out of the shower with a towel around her, water dripping from the tips of her chestnut locks down her fair shoulders. "That jerk thinks he can have any girl he wants."

"Way to go, girl. You're the first one to turn him down," Lyralei laughed as she brushed her silky orange hair. "If only Davion knew who he was going after. He probably thinks you're just like any other rich girl."

"Well, I _am_ an ordinary girl," Mirana frowned and shook her head at her chirpy friend, as if conveying some secret message. "And Lyra you need to stop talking and finish putting on your makeup."

Traxex remained standing in front of her locker, quietly observing Mirana and thinking that her suspicion was right. The brunette's fine, slender features and her poise hinted at a much higher social class. But at the same time, some of her not-so-refined mannerisms suggested that she was trying to pass off as a commoner in this school.

"Hurry up, Tres! I'm hungry." Mirana groaned impatiently. She, too, had dressed up in full view of everyone, and was now decked out in a long-sleeved, low-cut blue blouse and tight jeans.

"Me too actually." Tresdin said as she stepped into the shower room. "I could eat a dragon right now!"

"Oops I almost forgot!" Lyralei cried, looking at the pale-haired newcomer. "Sorry, I can't join you guys for lunch today. Tracie's new and I need to show her around."

"Alright, Miss Friendly," Mirana obliged with a roll of her eyes. "See you later."

Traxex felt her stomach growl as well. Grabbing her belongings, she headed to the lunchroom with Lyralei. There were several things in her mind, but for the moment, the dominant image was that of Tresdin's perfectly toned legs.

* * *

><p>Sven: Rogue Knight<p>

Tresdin: Legion Commander

Davion: Dragon Knight

Mirana: Princess of the Moon


	3. English or Dotaception

Hi all, I'm glad there are people who enjoyed the story, especially achus93, whose Nightsilver Tales inspired me to write modern-AU, and mie rebus, who wrote a funny crazy story on Lyralei and gang, and also thanks to Kiria, Zarm, Karl and the rest who reviewed/fav/sub!

And so Traxex's first day continues...

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter 3: English or Dotaception<span>**

The two girls set down their trays of food on the table. The lunchroom was starting to get crowded, so Traxex was glad they had found a relatively quiet corner.

"What's that?" the pale-haired newcomer asked, eyeing the leafy glob of greens on her friend's plate with slight disgust.

"Tango salad," the ginger replied, digging her fork into the vegetables.

"Is that all you're having for lunch? Salad?"

"I'm on a diet," Lyralei said. "And what's that drink you are having, Tracie? Looks like something new on the menu."

"It's called a Soul Booster Shake, made up of strawberries, blueberries and grape juice."

"Whoa, looking at you, no one would believe you eat so much!" Lyralei stared at the cheeseburger, fries and two chocolate bars on Traxex's tray.

"Guess I'm a bit stressed today," Traxex explained. "And I just couldn't resist the Black King Bars, they're my favorite dark chocolate."

"What's there to stress about? Relax dear! It's only your first day. So, where did you come from?"

"Drowland. Then my foster parents had to move over because of work."

"Foster parents?"

"Yeah. My parents died when I was five."

Lyralei stopped munching on her salad and gasped. "I'm an orphan too! Seems we share quite a lot in common, huh. Do you like your foster family?"

"Not really," Traxex mumbled. There was a few moments of silence, as Traxex sipped her purplish drink. Then she decided to revive the topic that had been bugging her at the back of her mind.

"So, about Mr Nortrom, what does he do to students who piss him off?"

"Well… "Lyralei paused for a moment and lowered her voice. "How do I explain it? His punishment is… it's like… it makes you more stupid."

Traxex frowned in bewilderment. "What do you mean?"

"Nobody knows exactly what he does. Some say it is a kind of curse."

"Why would a teacher make his students dumb?"

"It's only temporary," Lyralei explained. "But it can be embarrassing when you start saying and doing stupid things. Like Mortred, I remember once when she was rude to him, and he called her into his office. After she returned to class, she jumped on Magina and tried to kiss him. And then there's the other time when Magina stripped and started singing Katy Perry's Teenage Dream to Carl. It always happens after Mr Nortrom gives someone a scolding in his office!"

"I'm getting freaked out," Traxex shuddered, suddenly feeling the urge to start on her math homework. She could never get anything done at home, what with all the twelve other kids either fighting or bugging her to play with them.

"Don't worry too much," Lyralei assured. "Mr Nortrom doesn't do that very often, and only to those who openly disobey him. As long as you don't make a sound or piss him off during class, he doesn't care how you dress, or whether you hand in your homework. He is weird that way."

"Really?"

"Uh huh, he doesn't even seem to care if you don't show up for school, like that guy Riki, he's always skipping classes to smoke."

Traxex munched her burger thoughtfully. "Are there any other weird teachers like that in this school?"

"Of course. The art teacher is even worse."

The newcomer gulped. Before she could probe further, Lyralei started waving her hand enthusiastically at someone seated at the table to her right.

"Sorry, I have to go talk to a friend for a moment. I'll be right back!" The social butterfly said before flitting to the other table.

With some time to herself, Traxex observed the crowd in the lunchroom. Like in her old school, the good-looking and sporty students sat together, and she knew there would be a table for the outcasts and loners. True enough, her gaze fell upon an overweight kid sitting alone with a plate full of sausages in front of him. He was possibly the ugliest boy she'd ever seen, with beady eyes and a gaping mouth full of misshapen teeth. Traxex couldn't help but feel sorry for him. At the next table, she saw two other bespectacled boys, each in their own worlds. One was wearing a yellow and sky-blue hoodie, engrossed in his book. The other boy was very short and small-sized, and was playing a handheld game.

* * *

><p>"It's English class! OH YEAH!" The students cheered while entering the computer lab. Traxex wondered why everyone seemed so happy, especially when the English teacher was a bearded, white-haired old man who looked extremely boring.<p>

"Hey Mr Ezalor!" The platinum blond, Carl flashed a wide grin at the teacher as he passed him some papers.

"Carl! First one to hand in your essay as usual!" Mr Ezalor smiled with his kind, wrinkly eyes.

The students each took a seat behind a computer, and Mr Ezalor wrote the day's topic on the board as he rattled off his instructions.

"Alright boys and girls, continue doing your research on your essay on 'advantages and disadvantages of genetic engineering'. Sorry, I'm too old for all this computer stuff, so I can't help much." With that, he settled at his desk, placed a stack of papers on it and proceeded to do his marking.

Lyralei had joined Mirana and Tresdin near the back of the lab, and Traxex found a seat near the front, beside the nerdy boy in the yellow and sky-blue hoodie that she had seen in the lunchroom earlier on. She also noticed that the Geek Triumvirate were seated in front of her. Dutifully, she switched on her computer, typed out the essay title and began googling for information. Ten minutes passed by and she had copied and pasted a few lines, and then she peered at her neighbor's computer screen. It was black with flashing pictures. Looking around, Traxex realized, to her surprise, that half the class was playing computer games. What's more, it looked like they were all playing the same game.

"Pick a hero, dammit," she heard the redhead, who was sitting to the left of Carl, whisper fiercely at him.

"Wait, I wanna see what Magina picks," Carl said.

"For fuck's sake hurry up we're losing gold," Lina urged impatiently.

"Okay okay I'll pick."

"Invoker?" Rylai, seated on Carl's right, giggled at her screen. "Show off!"

"You idiot," Lina hissed. "We're all squishy."

"Don't worry girls! I'm pro at Invoker. Give me mid," Carl declared confidently, tossing his silky, shiny yellow hair.

"You'd better not mess up or I'll slap you!" Lina warned. Then her voice softened as she looked at Rylai with huge pleading eyes. "Sis, could you please get the courier?"

"Me again? Okay…" Rylai obliged.

_So that's why everyone's so happy to be in Mr Ezalor's class today. _Traxex glanced at the elderly teacher, who was buried in his marking and totally unaware of what was happening. She looked around at the other students who weren't gaming – they were either on social media or looking at silly things like cat videos. Feeling unmotivated, Traxex decided to do some random surfing, when a headline at a news site caught her attention.

"Scientists have been researching on the radiation emitted by the Radiant and Dire ores scattered all over the world, and recent studies suggest that this radiation causes changes in the human brain."

The headline disturbed her somehow, although she wasn't sure what it was talking about. She tried searching for more information on the ores that were mentioned, but the articles were too long and boring. _Fragments of the meteorite crash… collapse of the Mad Moon…_ she muttered quietly. She was never interested in all this astronomy stuff, and gave up reading just as Carl's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Nice one Lina."

"Yeah, me and Dragonus are just spamming them like crazy."

"Well, me and Kardel are not giving Tresdin any farm," Rylai added.

Traxex turned around and looked at the other students who were gaming. She recognized one of them as the short boy playing the handheld game at the lunchroom. It was surprising to see him there; she'd thought he was a freshman. Then she saw the purple rebel with the Mohawk hair sitting at the back, his face tense with frustration.

Suddenly, a stern, familiar voice emerged from the front of the room.

"Carl. I want to speak to you for a moment."

She glanced up and saw that Mr Nortrom had stepped in. The entire class quickly closed whatever screens they were looking at and pretended to do their essays.

"Oh shit. Pause for me okay?" Carl whispered before bolting up to answer the math teacher.

Traxex stared blankly at her document. Once Carl and Mr Nortrom had stepped out, the class resumed whatever they were doing on their computers. Traxex, however, tried to concentrate on writing her first paragraph. She had lost track of time when she heard Carl's voice again as the blond returned to his seat. He sounded annoyed.

"What the hell happened? You guys didn't pause?"

"They didn't want to," Lina said. "And besides… I thought we were doing okay."

"Are you kidding me? Magina has a freaking Manta already," Carl groaned. "Look at them. Tresdin. Davion. All tanky as shit. Look at Kardel, he's useless!"

"It's all your fault," Lina snapped. "And also, Rylai fed Magina."

"Sorry… I couldn't help it," Rylai pouted innocently. "Mirana was ganking a lot."

"No gem?" Carl asked, his fingers furiously typing on the keyboard and clicking on his mouse.

"Sorry... I'm too broke," Rylai said sheepishly.

"Arghhhhh...noooo... dead!" Carl laid his head face-down on the keyboard and whined in exasperation. "Lina, I thought you said you were gonna gank with Dragonus?"

"Dragonus is playing like a noob," Lina explained. "Daydreaming and not looking at the mini-map."

"He's been like that ever since his girlfriend got suspended," Carl sighed. "Alright, since we're gonna lose, let me try something." He stood up and raised his voice at the teacher. "Hey Mr Ezalor! Guess what? Magina said you're a boring old fart."

Mr Ezalor chuckled and replied, "that isn't too far from the truth," and continued marking his papers without looking up.

Trying his luck again, Carl cried out, "Hey Mr Ezalor, did you know that Magina said you had sex with Mr Nortrom?"

Mr Ezalor smiled and adjusted his glasses, not budging an inch from his desk. "Hmm... looks like you found out about our secret eh?"

_Holy crap, this English teacher simply can't be bothered,_ Traxex shook her head in disbelief. After ten more minutes, she was still stuck at the first paragraph as she tried in vain to block out the distracting chatter in front of her.

"I'm just gonna hide at the fountain… enough of being raped by Magina!"

"Oh, I wish they would end this and put us out of our misery."

Traxex turned around to look at the Mohawk-hair guy again. The frown on his face was now replaced by a jubilant smile. Her ginger friend, the tomboy and the posh girl were barely able to stifle their laughter.

The bell rang, thus saving the Geek Triumvirate from further humiliation.

* * *

><p>Do leave a review if you liked this!<p>

For those who're not familiar with Dota hero names:

Ezalor: Keeper of the Light

Rylai: Crystal Maiden

Dragonus: Skywrath Mage


	4. History and the Bully

Hi guys, I'm really glad to read the positive comments on the last chapter. Kiria Sanae: Interesting how you imagined those heroes... I have a slightly different plan though :) BlastoiseBlue: Ezalor's probably happy that the students are not bothering him. And Zarm: Thanks and good job on the Rubick fic!

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 4: History and the Bully<span>**

"We're going to split into two classes for History," Lyralei explained to Traxex as they exited the computer lab. "I'll be in room 214 and you, 215."

"Oh look," Traxex pointed at her schedule. "It says... both classes will be taught by Mr Azwraith?"

"That's right. Both classes, at the same time."

"You're kidding," Traxex paused in her footsteps.

"No I'm not. You'll see for yourself later," Lyralei said in earnest. "Your room is just over there. Today's lesson is about ancient civilization, so we'll all be dressed up as characters from ancient times."

"Okay…" Traxex struggled to wrap her brain around what she just heard. _This school is getting stranger by the minute. _

"Take it easy dear," Lyralei soothed. "Alright, here you are. Now I'm gonna get changed! See you here after school, and we'll go the range where you can try out for the archery club!" With a wink of her emerald eyes, the ginger left her friend at the door and breezed away.

Traxex entered the empty room and sat at the back, trying to entertain herself by reading the school handbook. A while later, her classmates arrived one by one, dressed up in colorful costumes, teasing one another and snapping photos. Most were posing as ancient Greeks or Egyptians, some as mythological characters. So far, she could only recognize Davion. He looked imposing as Hercules in his black-and-gold faux leather armor, cuffs, leg guards and even a gold plastic headpiece. A red cape hung over his shoulders, matching his crimson hair. She wondered what Lyralei and the rest were dressed up as.

The teacher strode in last, a tall, lean man with a wiry beard in a blue shirt and brown pants. Traxex was fascinated with his pointy ears and cat-like face. All he needed was some whiskers to complete the look.

"Well good afternoon kids," Mr Azwraith flashed an energetic grin as he surveyed the ten students. "I'm so pleased to see all of you in your costumes, and it looks like most of you put in a lot of effort, except for… _you_." His gaze landed on Magina, who was still in his usual get-up, mohawk hair and all.

"I did bring a costume, but someone stole it," Magina argued. "It must be that asshole Carl."

"Excuses!" Mr Azwraith shook his head disapprovingly. "How about you, young lady?" he looked at Traxex.

"I'm new, Sir. It's my first day today," Traxex said.

"Ah, no problem then, just watch," Mr Azwraith said, before addressing the class again. "Now, each of you will have to give a five-minute speech on your character. Let's see, who wants to start? How about you over there… I suppose you're Zeus?" He pointed at a stout boy wearing a blue-and-white toga and a white beard made of cotton wool. Each of his rubber-gloved hands held a lightning bolt made of silver cardboard.

The boy posing as the Greek god walked up and stood facing the class, and Traxex thought he looked ridiculous with the huge fluffy beard that covered most of his face.

"I am Zeus, ruler of the Olympians, god of the sky and thunder!" He gestured dramatically.

"Interesting, I see that Zeus is your real name too," Mr Azwraith glanced at the attendance sheet in amusement.

Halfway through, the presentation was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Excuse me, Mr Azwraith," a lady popped her head in. "A parent would like to see you. It's urgent."

"Thanks, I got it!" the history teacher smiled and made the OK sign with his fingers. Traxex noticed another man looking exactly like Mr Azwraith emerge from behind her and walk out of the door. _Whoa, where did that man come from? Is this a magic trick? _she wondered.

"Who's next?" Mr Azwraith asked, eyeing a student wrapped up from head to toe in toilet paper and carrying a tombstone made of styrofoam. "How about you, Mister Egyptian Mummy? Easiest costume to make, huh?"

The boy bandaged in toilet rolls shuffled to the front and intoned in a low voice, "Hi everyone, my name is Dick and I am the undying Mummy…"

His presentation was rather entertaining, but was again disrupted by another knock on the door.

"Excuse me, Mr Azwraith," a young man's voice could be heard from outside. "Could you join us at a meeting?"

"Sure, I'll be right there," the teacher replied. Traxex quickly whipped her head back, curious to know where the doppelganger came from, but saw nothing. She turned around again and now there were two Mr Azwraiths, one leaving the room. _That would be Mr Azwraith number four,_ Traxex mused as she rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

This went on for a while until the seventh Mr Azwraith appeared. And then it was time for the last student to present.

"My name is Mortred, and I am Cleopatra today," said a tanned girl in an elegant black dress decorated with an elaborate gold collar and sash. A jeweled headpiece sat on her long, straight jet-black hair, and the sceptre in her hand completed the Egyptian Pharoah look. She had large, deep-set eyes and Traxex thought she looked beautiful even under the thick make-up.

* * *

><p>The bell rang, signalling the end of the school schedule. Traxex's heartbeat sped up. The newcomer paced along outside the classroom, unable to contain her excitement about trying out for the archery club. She was soon joined by Lyralei and Mirana.<p>

"Our shooting range is underground," Lyralei explained.

"By the way, I'm in the club committee," Mirana tossed her hair, looking cool and aloof as usual. "We only take in the best, so you'll have to prove yourself."

Traxex nodded. The trio left the building and she surveyed her the surroundings, awed by the size of the school compounds. They walked about ten minutes, passing by a huge fountain, a couple of Olympic-sized pools and the vast field.

The girls had reached the other end of the field, near the back gates when two figures caught their attention. One of them, Traxex remembered as the obese kid who sat alone at the lunchroom. Right now he was eating a chicken drumstick while lumbering towards the gate with a backpack over his shoulders. Someone was swaggering towards him - a big guy wearing only black shorts, whose body was stacked with rippling muscles. He looked like the Hulk except with a reddish tan, and his face looked as tough as leather.

"YO FATSO," the beefcake spat. The boy ignored him and walked on.

It was clearly not the response the muscular guy wanted, and so he continued his taunts.

"HEY PUDGE, THAT MEAT DON'T LOOK FRESH." He followed up by snatching the boy's chicken drumstick and throwing it on the ground.

"Leave me alone," the fat kid mumbled.

Traxex could not tear her eyes away, knowing that the situation was going to escalate to something nasty. Mirana, on the other hand, whispered, "let's go," before slipping away from the scene together with Lyralei. The blonde struggled to keep up, especially with Lyralei, who ran like the wind. They stopped only when they were a good distance away, at the entrance to the steps leading down to the basement. Traxex caught her breath while keeping her eyes on the two guys who were still within view. The thug's voice could still be heard.

"AXE GONNA REARRANGE YA UGLY FACE." With that he slammed a large fist into the fat kid's face, causing blood to ooze out of his nose. "AXE GETS FIRST BLOOD!" he laughed, a rough, grating sound that had nothing to do with humor. Traxex flinched.

Nevertheless, the boy nicknamed Pudge remained standing - being chubby probably helped him maintain his balance. He looked unfazed, as though it was not the first time he had experienced this.

"I hate bullies," Traxex seethed indignantly.

"Don't try anything stupid," Mirana warned as she unlocked the door. "In case you don't know, that guy is Mogul 'The Axe' Khan, bodybuilder, wrestler and leader of a gang of bullies. Nobody in this school dares stand up to him, not even when he's alone, like now."

"But we have to do something," Traxex insisted.

"I know!" Lyralei giggled. "Let's shoot his big, red ass."

Mirana shook her head. "We can't use our arrows. He'll know who it is and come after us."

"Aha, let's use this then," Lyralei chuckled, digging into her backpack and pulling out what looked like a homemade slingshot made of sticks and thick rubber bands.

"You carry this around with you all day?" Mirana's blue eyes widened with surprise.

"For self-defence I guess," the ginger said, picking up a pebble and loading it into the slingshot. "Anyone wanna have a go?"

"Ahem, fastest runner in school needs this to survive?" Mirana huffed.

"GET UP AND FIGHT!"

The bully nicknamed Axe had shoved Pudge onto the ground and kicked his bag, scattering the contents all over the ground. He was now facing the direction of the three girls, who quickly hid behind the door, safely out of sight.

"Tell you what, Traxex," Mirana challenged. "If you can hit him in the groin with this, I'll let you join the archery club."

_From this distance? _Traxex peeked out and stared in hesitation at her target. He was a good eighty feet away.

"Yeah, go for it!" Lyralei's eyes twinkled mischievously as she handed the blonde the slingshot and pebble. "Have you ever used one before?"

"No."

"Here's how you hold it," Lyralei gave a brief demonstration.

"Okay, I'll try…" Traxex nodded as she accepted the improvised weapon. Gripping it with slightly cold but steady fingers, she held it up and pulled the rubber band back as far as she could.

Pudge was now trying to get up, and Traxex waited, worried she might end up hitting him instead. Axe gave him another push and sent him sprawling on the ground again. A few curious onlookers had arrived, fortunately, none blocking her view yet.

"WHAT HAPPENED? AXE HAPPENED!" The wrestler shouted, his foot now firmly planted on Pudge's chest, while the latter tried to force the boot off him. Traxex drew in a deep breath as she took aim with the slingshot, her eyes narrowing with concentration.

"GET UP, LARD-ASS!" Axe continued taunting as he lifted his foot. In an unexpected move, Pudge turned over and grabbed the bully's leg, sinking his teeth into his calf. The wrestler let out a howl of rage and shook himself free. "FAT FREAK, YOU DARE BITE AXE? AXE GONNA BEAT DA SHIT OUTTA YA!"

A crowd was gathering, and some kids were cheering - for who, she didn't know.

"Hurry up, just shoot!" Lyralei urged. Traxex knew she had to act fast. Biting her lip, she fired the slingshot. There was a 'pop' sound as the pebble flew off and hit Axe square in the groin, causing him to double over and bellow in pain.

Lyralei stifled a squeal as the bully grabbed his crotch, his face turning even redder than it already was, while the onlookers snickered. The trio quietly scrambled down the steps leading to the basement as they heard a furious roar, "WHO DID THAT? COME OUT MOTHAFUCKA!"

"That was awesome, Tracie," Lyralei cried as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Not bad at all," Mirana remarked, visibly impressed. "But I don't think that hurt him much. I heard Axe has got balls of steel. And we'd better lock this door in case he comes after us."

"You can keep this as a gift! Protect yourself with it," Lyralei chuckled as Traxex clutched the hand catapult, her adrenaline still pumping.

"I'd like to see how you do with a longbow," Mirana said.

"So that means I can join the archery club?" Traxex asked, just to make sure. She hadn't actually felt this good in a while.

"Well, I'm not one to go back on my words, and since you've proven yourself … congratulations, you're in," Mirana smiled, the first friendly gesture she'd made towards the new girl.

"Welcome!" Lyralei beamed and hugged Traxex.

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><p>Azwraith: Phantom Lancer<p>

Mortred: Phantom Assassin


	5. After School

**Chapter 5: After School**

Although Traxex often wished she hadn't been brought up by a bunch of strangers, there was one thing she'd always be grateful for: the chance to learn archery. It was a lucky stroke of fate that her foster father was a fan of the sport and had allowed her, from a young age, to follow him whenever he went hunting in the woods. He'd gifted her a set of bow and arrows when she was eight, and since then, she'd spent whatever free time she had, sneaking out into the woods to practise shooting.

Her practice had paid off; she was confident with the longbow Mirana handed her. In terms of precision, she came out tops, not only hitting bulls-eyes, but splitting her two companions' arrows. In terms of speed, however, Lyralei surpassed her.

"Did you say you picked up archery only last year?" Traxex asked in disbelief as the ginger fired so fast that she had five arrows in the air before the first one hit the target.

"Not really. I've been sort of playing around with my cousin's bow and arrows ever since I was a kid," Lyralei grinned.

_Ah, that explains it._ It dawned on Traxex, as she watched the determined gleam in those forest-green eyes as Lyralei dispatched another flurry of arrows, that she had underestimated her friend all along. Underneath that ditzy and playful exterior was a serious and skilled archer. _I think I have officially met my match._

"Our club competes against the other schools," Mirana said. "We compete for accuracy and speed."

"And also distance," Lyralei added with a nod towards the brunette, "which is Mirana's specialty!"

It was nearly evening by the time the archery session ended; the sun was sinking in a sky all purple and amber, and the air was now cooler. Traxex's stomach started to rumble as the trio walked towards the school carpark. But the thought of preparing dinner for the crowd at home, and especially the part about washing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen, made her groan inwardly.

"I'm gonna hang out at The Silver Moon with Luna," Mirana announced. "See you girls tomorrow."

"Have fun! Don't get too drunk!" Lyralei winked at the brunette, who gave her a shushing motion, before striding towards a tall girl waiting beside a silver sports car. The girl wore a dark blue tank top and jeans, with her light blue tinted hair done up stylishly in a ponytail. Despite her graceful and slender features, she looked like she could punch someone out if needed.

"The Silver Moon?" Traxex pondered aloud.

"It's a posh bar in the city centre. Luna, over there, is a senior, and her parents run the bar," Lyralei whispered as she nodded towards the ponytailed girl. "They're not supposed to serve alcohol to high school kids, but then… it's hard to turn down someone like Mirana, I guess."

"Aren't you joining them?"

"Nah. I'm heading home for dinner and then I'll go for a run at the park. I can't wait to feel the night breeze against my face after being cooped up indoors all day!" Lyralei said as she approached her scooter. "How about you?"

"I'm going home to cook dinner for my family of fifteen."

"Wow, that's a lot of people," Lyralei raised her brows in surprise.

"Yeah, and I happen to be the eldest kid. How many people are in your family?"

"I'm living with my aunt and uncle. My cousin's in college, so now there's only three of us at home."

"Well, lucky you," Traxex sighed. "It's always chaos at home. I can't even do my homework with all that noise from the kids, the telly and my roommate who listens to Justin Bieber all night."

"Eww, Justin Bieber? Oh you poor thing!" Lyralei's freckled face wrinkled with sympathy. "You know, if you really need a quiet place to study…our school's open at night."

"Really?" Traxex's pale eyes lit up.

"Yeah, the library's open till eleven!"

"Great. I'll come back later then," Traxex waved goodbye to her friend-cum-newfound archery rival as she got on her bike. "Thanks for everything!"

"See you tomorrow!" Lyralei waved back.

* * *

><p>As usual, it was easy sneaking out from home, since nobody ever bothered about her whereabouts. Traxex parked her bike at the same spot at the back of the school car park. The wind made the night air chilly, and she was glad she had put on a thicker hoodie. The school compound was dark and minimally lit. Pulling out her map from her backpack, she squinted at it, trying to figure out how to get to the library. She had forgotten to ask Lyralei where it was.<p>

"Where are you going, young lady?" A growly voice startled her.

She looked up to see a hairy, burly man in a security guard uniform in front of her.

"I'm a new student…I'm not sure where the library is," Traxex replied, peering at the man's name tag, which read 'Mr Banehallow'.

"Library's in the Aghanim Block, first floor, over there," the security guard pointed towards a three-storey building, past the landmark fountain.

"Thanks," Traxex said and followed his directions, the darkness prompting her to quicken her steps.

Once in the library, Traxex pushed back her hood and shook her long, silver hair free. The study area in the library was empty except for one student. She recognized him as Dragonus, huddled over his textbook at one of the little round tables. Traxex seated herself some tables away and took out her books and stationery. The bespectacled boy in the sky-blue and yellow jacket glanced up for a second, then returned to his book. She thought he wasn't bad looking for a nerd, and wondered why he always looked so down.

Behind him, there was a small room behind a pair of glass doors. Mr Nortrom was inside, busy marking some papers. The library was so silent that she could have heard the proverbial pin drop. Dragonus turned a page soundlessly. Traxex would have enjoyed the peace and quiet, if not for the fact that she was totally clueless about her math homework.

"Sine… cosine…" she muttered, frowning at her textbook. She peered through the glass doors at Mr Nortrom. Would he think she was being a pest if she asked him for help? She remembered she should not speak to him unless spoken to - did that rule apply to after-school hours? On the other hand, she didn't want to spend a night in school getting nothing done, neither did she feel like copying the answers from that cocky smart-alec, Carl. The homework needed to be handed in, and she was going to offend her math teacher either way. Mustering her courage, she stood up and walked towards the glass doors, pushing them open slowly.

Brushing back her unruly locks, Traxex stepped inside tentatively. Mr Nortrom continued with his marking, seemingly indifferent to her presence. He was wearing the same dark purple jacket and his coffee-colored hair was slightly ruffled, perhaps from the wind outside.

"Excuse me, sir," she ventured.

"Yes?" Mr Nortrom looked up curtly, his piercing, bespectacled blue eyes meeting hers.

"I was wondering, um… if you could help me with some math problems," the teen clutched her textbook, bracing herself for a gruff response.

"Why, yes, come in." His expression was blank and unreadable. "You looked lost during my lesson this morning."

Surprised at his response, Traxex released the breath she didn't realize she was holding. "I um… haven't learnt this topic in my old school."

Mr Nortrom shifted away some of his own things on the table and gestured for her to sit beside him. She did so a little awkwardly. It was the first time she'd had a teacher coach her like this – everyone else had been either too busy or couldn't be bothered.

"Alright, let's look at this right-angled triangle," he explained while drawing on a piece of paper. "This side opposite the right angle, is called the hypotenuse…"

Traxex nodded. The manner in which he spoke was clear and business-like, but a lot less intimidating as usual. She found herself growing more at ease as his deep and calm voice washed over her. From time to time, he looked at her to check if she understood what he was saying. She would nod mostly, not daring to return the gaze but when she did, she noticed his eyes were so blue and fathomless, she felt like she was drowning in them.

"Traxex." The hint of impatience in his voice jolted her out of her reverie. "Please pay attention to what I'm saying. I don't like to repeat myself."

"Sorry, sir," she said. "What did you say?"

"I asked you what's sine theta."

The teenager mumbled an uncertain answer. For the rest of the tutorial she tried really hard not to let her mind drift, but ended up understanding only fifty percent of what was said. That was good enough for her. As for the other half, she'd have to ask her classmates for help.

"It's ten thirty," she heard him say. "I'm going to lock up the library soon. You better go home before it gets too late."

Glancing up at the clock on the wall, she was surprised that time had flown past quickly. She gathered her things and mumbled her thanks before slipping out of the room. As she made her way to the library's exit, there was the unsettling feeling that she was being watched. Turning around, she saw no one; Dragonus was gone. It must be her imagination.

Outside, the temperature had gone down. The teen shivered and pulled up her hood as she headed for the carpark. The school was now dead quiet and seemed deserted. After a few steps she turned around, casting a gaze at the only lit window and wondering what Mr Nortrom was doing. Why did he always look so grouchy? Why was he in the library at this hour? Did he have a family to go home to? And why did she even want to know?

She caught something out of the corner of the eye. It was the building next to the Aghanim block. Someone was perched on the roof of the four-storey building.

Traxex froze as the hair rose on the back of her neck. The figure seemed to be in a T shirt and jeans, legs dangling precariously over the edge. _Damn this school_, she cursed. _First there's the_ _weird math teacher, then the history teacher who can make copies of himself… and now there's someone about to jump off the rooftop. I can't take it anymore…I just want to go home. _She clenched her fists and squeezed her eyes shut.

But what if that guy jumped right after she turned her back? She'd be plagued by nightmares after that. A quick scan of her surroundings showed nobody nearby, not even the security guard. She had to go up there and stop a potential tragedy. Well, at least try. She ran into the building and up the staircase, panting as she reached the rooftop. The person was still there on the ledge. It was dark, and Traxex couldn't tell, looking at the high, spiky hairdo, whether it was a girl or guy.

"Hey there," she said softly.

"Who are you?" A feminine voice answered. The spiky-haired girl turned back and eyes shimmering with tears met hers.

"Just a new girl," Traxex said, trying to sound as harmless as she could. She wasn't sure how to talk someone out of committing suicide, but she knew she had to say something. "Um… can I help?" she offered, feeling somewhat stupid.

"Nope. Life sucks too much," the girl turned back and lowered her head despondently.

"Why do you say that?" Traxex inched towards her quietly.

"Someone set me up, planted drugs in my locker. I was suspended for four months."

"That's horrible. Why would they want to do that?" Traxex stood a few feet away from her, shivering in the wind, not daring to go closer.

"I don't know!"

"But surely things aren't as bad as you think? Well er... it's just a suspension.."

"You don't understand! I was a straight-A student with a perfect record. Now I can't go to college. My dreams are dashed," she said hoarsely.

"Is there any way we can clear your name?"

The girl shook her head and broke into sobs. "No, there's no hope. My spineless ex-boyfriend couldn't even help me. And to think I spent like every minute of my time with him. He _knew_ I didn't do drugs, but he didn't speak up for me, he said he didn't see anything. That selfish wimp only cares about his grades. Well, the world is full of selfish turds. Goodbye, it was nice knowing you."

"Wait! Don't jump, please!" Traxex called out in a panic as she racked her brains for something useful to say. "Hey um… don't you think it's letting them off too easy if you die now?"

The girl said nothing, only weeping quietly.

Feeling encouraged that the girl had taken heed of her words, Traxex continued her reasoning. "You know, they say… don't get mad, get even."

She turned around now, looking at Traxex with her tear-streaked face, blinking as though she had had some sort of epiphany. "You're right." Her voice had changed from its sad tone to a cold, determined one. "I should make them pay for what they did to me."

"Exactly," Traxex said. _Like how I always wanted to find out who killed my parents, _she almost added. "Now, could you just come down from that ledge, please?"

"Will you help me? I lost all my friends after I started dating my ex."

"Yes! Of course!" Traxex cried, heaving a sigh of relief when the girl slowly eased her body around and her boots touched the ground. "By the way, I'm Traxex. Strange-sounding name, I know. What's yours?"

Wiping her bloodshot eyes with the back of her hand, the spiky-haired girl replied with a reluctant smile. "I'm Shendelzare."

* * *

><p>Shendelzare = Vengeful Spirit<p> 


	6. Chemistry

Hi all, once again I'm really encouraged to see the comments from fellow dota fans.

To coincidencless: I like the word 'dotaception' that you coined, so I used it as the title for the third chapter.

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 6: Chemistry<span>**

Having officially survived the first day of school, Traxex had made it a point to be early on her second day, so she had gotten up before dawn to prepare breakfast for the household. Yawning sleepily, she sat at the same seat in the middle of the classroom, enjoying the morning's peace and quiet. As her classmates slowly trickled in, she lazily flipped through the school handbook that the receptionist had given her the day before. On the front page was a welcome message from the principal, Professor Aghanim. The photo was of a bearded, balding man in his fifties.

After half an hour, the classroom was filled with chatter, and snippets from various conversations drifted to Traxex. A particular voice at the back caught her attention.

"Whoa, Shendel, is that you?"

Traxex spun around. The surprised voice came from Mortred, the tanned girl who'd dressed up as Cleopatra the day before, and who was now wearing a short, black flowy dress.

Traxex then turned to look at Shendel, whom she had first met the previous night at the rooftop, and who was strolling casually into the classroom. She could see her new friend more clearly now that it was daytime. The girl's high, spiky bleached hair matched her pallid skin, which contrasted with her dark purple lipstick and her smoked out eyes that looked like they had red-tinted contact lenses in them. Her svelte figure was wrapped in a maroon top covered by a black jacket, shorts and high black boots.

"What happened? You had a complete makeover?" A few other classmates, including Magina, also gaped and gawked at the Goth girl who stood in front of them.

"Yeah, do you have a problem with that?" Shendelzare shot back a couldn't-care-less glance at her fellow rebel with the Mohawk hair.

"SILENCE!"

Mr Nortrom's steely voice cut through the conversation. All chatter in the classroom died down, and everyone quickly returned to their seats as the bespectacled teacher looked through the attendance sheet on his desk. Traxex blinked and rubbed her eyes; she had forgotten that he was also her homeroom teacher. It seemed like only a short while had passed since she last saw him - it must be the lack of sleep that was messing with her sense of time.

"Shendelzare," Mr Nortrom uttered each syllable slowly and clearly whilst eyeing the Goth girl, his emotionless face registering no reaction to her new get-up. "You have just come back from suspension, and I suggest you stay out of further trouble."

"I said I was framed!" the teen retorted.

"The school management arrived at their decision based on the evidence that was available," the teacher said coldly.

Shendelzare pointed a dark purple fingernail at the studious boy in yellow-and-blue sitting in the front row. "Now, if only _he_ had the balls to speak up for me…" she spat, but the boy in question did not move.

_So Dragonus is her ex-boyfriend_! Traxex's eyes widened at the revelation. _No wonder he's been looking so dejected and was spending the night all alone in the library._ _The two of them look as different as night and day… I wonder if Shendel once looked like a goody-two-shoes as well?_

"That's enough!" Mr Nortrom ordered, and Shendelzare looked away bitterly, simmering quietly in her seat for the remainder of the period.

* * *

><p>The day progressed in a rather torturous crawl. English lesson with Mr Ezalor in the classroom was a total sleepfest, Math with Mr Nortrom was a little less confusing after his coaching the previous night, and Physics with Dr. Boush was as incomprehensible as ever. She'd spent lunchtime with Shendelzare instead of Lyralei to make sure her new friend was in a calmer state of mind as compared to the night before when she'd attempted suicide. They didn't have much to talk about, which was fine, anyway, since she was perfectly happy to eat in silence. Traxex willed the periods to pass by quickly, as all she could think about was chilling out at the library at night.<p>

Finally, the bell rang for the last period, and she followed her classmates as they filed into the chemistry lab. Rows of long tables designed as workstations lined the lab neatly, with each table already equipped with what looked like materials for experiments. Everyone seemed to have pre-assigned seats and partners - Lyralei with Mirana, Carl with Dragonus, Lina with Rylai, and so on – except for Shendelzare, who sat alone in the back row, so Traxex readily settled herself beside her.

"Hey guys, how're yall doing?" greeted the teacher, a portly middle-aged man with a moustache and goblin ears. However the most striking thing about him, and one that was unusual for a high school teacher, was his apparent passion for gold jewellery. He wore a gold watch on his wrist, a gold chain and a few gold rings on his fingers.

"Whee! Mr Razzil!" Three male voices rang out in a loud chorus in front of her. Straining to look, she saw three short boys that she had never seen in the other classes, sharing a table. They looked alike, with their round faces and sharp noses, prompting her to wonder if they were brothers.

"Mr Razzil, will we be doing unstable compounds today?" One of the boys asked excitedly.

"Yeah, like that nitrogen triiodide demo last week? That was awesome!" cried the second.

"Can you teach us how to make a bomb?" asked the third boy, jumping up and down.

"Next time, Squee," the chemistry teacher laughed heartily, the precious metals on him glittering as he moved. "First I'll need to go through our topic for the day - alkali metals, and then we'll do some experiments. Do not touch the materials placed on your workstations yet!" He paused to smile when his gaze fell on Traxex. "Ah, we have a new student today. And I see, Shendelzare is back. You two can be lab partners."

Traxex stole a sideways glance at her partner. Surprisingly, instead of sulking away, she was sitting upright attentively, looking rather pumped up about the lesson as well.

"Now, as I'd mentioned last week, alkali metals are chemical elements found in group one of the periodic table," Mr Razzil said. "Now can someone tell me the names of the metals and list them in order of reactivity?"

As expected, the platinum blond to her left shot up as he rattled off the answers. "Lithium, Sodium, Potassium, Rubidium, Caesium and Francium."

"Excellent, Carl!" The chemistry teacher said as he wrote the metal names on the board. "The lower you go down the list, the more vigorously they react with water!"

There was a buzz of anticipation among the triplet brothers in front of her. Traxex looked down curiously at the materials on her table that she shared with Shendelzare - a beaker of colorless liquid, a piece of paper with some silvery hard substance the size of a coin on it, and metal tweezers.

"Now, we are only going to try this with a piece of potassium, just a tiny bit, not quite enough to cause an explosion," Mr Razzil announced with a playful chuckle. "Nevertheless, please make sure you all wear your safety glasses at all times! Now you may add the metal to the beaker of water, and record your findings on the piece of worksheet on your table."

Traxex looked to her left. Carl was already writing down the answers on his worksheet, leaving his partner, Dragonus to do the experiment.

Traxex turned to face Shendelzare, who, without a word, proceeded to pick up the metal tweezers. Carefully she collected the piece of metal and dropped it in the beaker of water. Miniscule sparks flew and a tendril of smoke arose from the water. A pink and yellow flame flickered, and a crackling sound was heard as the fragment of metal raced around inside the beaker like a tiny firecracker. Within a minute, the smoke and flames died down, leaving the water cloudy but peaceful. Traxex was reading her worksheet when a loud voice to her left made her instinctively spin around.

"What the fuck!" It was Carl, staring open-mouthed at the beaker of liquid in front of Dragonus. Unlike hers, it was bubbling much more violently and uncontrollably; crimson flames leapt up threateningly and smoke filled the beaker in a rush.

"Get back!" Carl shouted at his bewildered lab partner as the glass container cracked under the pressure of the violent reaction. Dragonus lunged backwards and raised his arms to protect himself just as the container burst into smithereens with a loud bang. The explosion sent a shower of glass shards in all directions, some landing as far as on Traxex's table. Dragonus's worksheet caught fire; the whole class had stopped what they were doing and were staring at him.

"Kids, what's going on here?" Mr Razzil urgently strode down the aisle towards the disaster-struck workstation with a fire extinguisher, which he used to put out the flames on the table. He then frowned at Carl and Dragonus, who were both unscathed, though they were covered with some grey substance. Inspecting the mess, the teacher's voice turned serious as he remarked, "This is hydrochloric acid, not water."

"It's Dragonus!" Carl immediately pointed a finger at his partner. "I don't know what the heck he's doing!"

"Why me?" Dragonus asked dazedly. "I have no idea why it turned out to be hydrochloric acid…"

"Because your head is in the clouds all the time!" Carl raged. "You took my things home by mistake last week and this time, thanks to you, my perfect face nearly got disfigured!"

"And by the way, Mister Smarty Pants, why didn't you wear your safety glasses as instructed?" Mr Razzil turned to reprimand Carl, before continuing to address the class. "Thankfully no one was hurt. This is unacceptable behavior, Dragonus. For endangering your classmates, you are given detention for the weekend."

"Nooo… but… this is unfair!" Dragonus protested. "Someone must have swapped my water with the acid!"

Traxex turned and eyed Shendelzare suspiciously. The girl looked calm and collected, and there was even a hint of satisfaction on her face. "Were you the one who did the swap?" she whispered.

Her lab partner said nothing, but bit her lip, as though she was stifling a smile. "It serves him right," she whispered back. "Don't tell anyone, okay? You promised to support me."

"Right…" Traxex said hesitantly, feeling uneasy about the whole thing. "That was kinda… um… and why drag Carl in? He didn't piss you off, did he?"

Shendelzare's purple lips curled into a callous smirk. "Too bad. Revenge sometimes involves innocents. Carl's an ass, anyway."

The last class of the day was over, and Traxex stood outside the Radiant block that housed the science labs, watching the other students milling about. Lyralei was gone; there was no archery practice, so she thought she would explore the school grounds on her own. Her first destination was the landmark fountain decorated with the beautiful cherry blossoms. She sat on the fountain's edge, listening to the comforting sound of the flowing water.

Shendelzare ran up to her, waving. "Hey babe, wanna hang out tonight?" She asked, sitting down beside her.

"Uh, sorry, I can't... I have to study," Traxex replied.

"Huh? You another nerd?" the spiky-haired girl's face held a trace of disdain.

"No I'm not a nerd," Traxex almost laughed out loud at the idea. "I just have too much to catch up on, because I'm new here."

"Oh. What were you doing in school last night anyway?"

"I was in the library doing my homework, because my house is too noisy for me to concentrate."

Now the look of disdain on Shendelzare's face had changed to something else, something that resembled fear. "The library?" she grimaced. "Oh my, you better stay away from the library at that hour."

"Why do you say that?" Traxex's curiosity was aroused again.

Letting a sigh escape her lips, Shendelzare said, "Well… since my future is ruined, I might as well tell you something I'm not supposed to."

"What is it?"

Shendelzare first looked around furtively, in a manner that reminded her of how Lyralei had behaved the day before. Then she whispered, "You'd better stay away from the library because Mr Nortrom's ex-girlfriend might appear there at midnight."

Feeling like a rug had been pulled under her feet, Traxex's mind taking some time to process the words 'ex-girlfriend', before reason took over: Mr Nortrom was already in his early thirties, or at least late twenties. But there was something else about the sentence that made her more than a little uncomfortable.

"Oh, I forgot to add," Shendelzare continued in a whisper, "It's his _dead_ ex-girlfriend."

* * *

><p>Mr Razzil = Alchemist<p>

Squee, (Spoon and Spleen) = Techies


	7. Substitute Teacher

Hello again, fellow Dota fans! I'm so encouraged by the reviews for the previous chapter.

To the Guest who mentioned NS: I've definitely thought of him, but he'll appear later.

To **achus93**: Thanks for the reminder!

Here's a light chappie for your entertainment.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter 7<span>**

Heeding Shendelzare's warning, Traxex had abandoned her plans of studying in the library at night. But it was impossible to tackle her schoolwork at home, as one of the kids in the neighboring room had taken to blasting his video games over his speakers in a deafening volume. So she'd spent the night at the nearby forest clearing, practising her archery.

Her third day as a Junior at Dota High arrived and she was sinking fast into the whirlpool of school. Most of her homework was left untouched in her bag, and most lessons she could only pay attention for about the first ten minutes before her mind drifted off. So far, chemistry was probably the only class she would call 'fun', but Shendelzare's spiteful actions had left her uneasy.

The next class on her timetable read: Biology. _Great… another subject to struggle with. Perhaps the teacher would make it fun? _She groaned in dismay when she saw Professor Boush's name. _Not him again…that physics teacher with the habit of rambling non-stop in class and expecting everyone to be a genius_…

"Hey, I heard we're gonna have a substitute teacher today," Lyralei's melodious voice tinkled like bells beside her ear. "Boush isn't in school."

Traxex's pale eyes lit up, meeting the green irises of her friend. "I hope it's not someone boring."

"I don't know who it is, but I know for sure that Carl's gonna play a prank on him or her," Lyralei giggled as she watched the platinum blond pull something out of a paper bag from the cupboard at the back of the classroom. "He does that to every substitute teacher who comes in."

"Dead cat prank again?" Tresdin, the tomboyish basketball player, yawned.

"Yup, always works," Carl said as he placed a gory, bloody mess of fur that looked like roadkill on the floor, a couple of feet away from the door. The 'dead cat' was obviously fake, but looked rather convincing where it lay; it even gave off a foul stench. Chuckling, the blond returned to his seat.

After fifteen minutes, the sound of crisp footsteps was heard. The door flung open, revealing a man in an emerald-green trench coat, with his long black hair tied up in a ponytail. He looked around his mid-twenties, with a slight build. His face wore the naïve enthusiasm of a new teacher, and there was a jaunty skip to his step as he entered.

The entire class was silent in anticipation.

"Morning, everyone! Isn't it a grrrrreat day?" The young teacher greeted the class vibrantly in a rather high-pitched voice. Traxex thought he looked familiar, with his bushy eyebrows, wide green eyes and sharp features, but couldn't figure out why. She also noticed he had some odd body movements, like muscle tics. Did he have a condition or was he just nervous? Knowing what was to befall him, she was starting to feel sorry for him already.

Nobody responded to his greeting. The class watched the substitute teacher as if he were a prey, releasing snorts and giggles when he scrunched up his nose.

"Oh, my, what is this awful smell?" The teacher exclaimed, tilting his head to one side. Looking down and noticing the furry pile, his face twisted into a sad pout. "Aww, poor kitty. Let's give kitty a proper funeral, shall we?" He suggested, looking up earnestly with his green eyes. "Can we have a volunteer, please?"

No response again. The teacher's eyes started searching the room, seemingly randomly, and then his gaze fell upon Carl. "Hey, you, pretty boy. Could you please help me dispose of this dead cat?"

Looking slightly taken aback, Carl muttered something inaudible.

"Come on," the teacher approached Carl, going so close that his coat almost touched the blond's long hair. "Get over here and give me a hand," he prodded him with a finger. The teen reluctantly got out of his seat and took a few steps towards the fake animal lying on the floor.

"Go on, pick it up," the teacher urged in a tone that wasn't exactly threatening. Nevertheless, there was probably something in it that made Carl shrug and obey his instructions. The teacher then produced a plastic bag from his pocket and dumped the fake carcass into it, before dropping it casually under Carl's desk. "This is where it belongs," he stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "Now you can sit down, young man."

Carl returned and sat down hesitantly, just as the teacher left his side. A split second later, he jumped up.

"What the - ?" The teen grimaced as he turned around and stared at his chair. The rest of the class strained to look; there was something on it that looked like a dead rat, seemingly squashed flat by his backside. "How did this get here?" He cried. The snickers and snorts among the students were now directed at him. "It looks real!" Someone commented.

"What's the matter, _Carl,_" the teacher asked smoothly with wide-eyed innocence, craning his neck downwards to meet the shocked gaze of the teen. "Don't like me copying your prank idea?"

"What? You knew my name all along?" The blond's jaws dropped wide open. Traxex had never seen the smart-alec look so embarrassed. The other students were clearly entertained by the disgusted noises coming from the chagrined teen, who was trying to get rid of the 'dead rat' by gingerly maneuvring it onto a piece of paper.

The dark-haired teacher merely smiled. Turning towards the board he wrote: _Mr Rubick_. "Aha! Time to introduce myself. This is my name," he announced, amid twitches. "Professor Boush is overseas for a conference, so I'm taking his classes for the day."

A hand rose from the back of the classroom.

"Sir," It was the Mohawk-haired guy, sounding unusually solemn. "Phone call for you."

_Wow, another prank?_ Traxex lifted her brows. _These guys are really bold._

The teacher did another head-tilt curiously, and then gamely walked over to Magina. Instead of taking the phone from him, he pressed a button, switching it to speakerphone mode. "Yes, what is it?" he asked.

A woman's voice on the other end spoke. "Sir, the principal would like to speak to you immediately. It is concerning a possible offence that you committed on school grounds yesterday."

"Rrrreally?" Mr Rubick raised a brow quizzically. "Tell Dad I'm not free right now." Glancing at Magina's confused expression, the teacher then burst out laughing for a minute till tears oozed out of his eyes. "You guys suck at pranks," he said, catching his breath and putting the phone back on the punk's table. "At least do your background research, for goodness' sake."

"Whoa, his dad's the principal?" Traxex whispered to Lyralei. _No wonder he looks like someone I'd just seen, _she realized as she recalled the photo in the school's handbook.

"Heh, I didn't know that either. Bad luck for Magina today," Lyralei chuckled.

"Alright guys." The teacher straightened up and strode briskly to the front of the classroom. "Now what was I saying? About me. I just graduated from college, so I'm kind of new to teaching. So uh, please be kind to me."

A loud ringtone interrupted his speech again, this time from his coat pocket. He reached in and whipped out a phone, once again pressing the speakerphone button. "Hello," he spoke.

"Good morning." It was a man's deep, authoritative voice. "I would like to speak to Magina, please."

The voice created a stir of excitement among the class. "Holy shit, that's the principal," someone exclaimed. All eyes were again focused intensely on the young teacher.

"Sure, hold on," Mr Rubick said cheerfully as he walked towards Magina's desk again and held the phone in front of the Mohawk-haired teenager, whose bewildered look had not left his face.

"Good morning, Magina," the voice sounded grave.

"Oooh, Ma- ma-gina, what an interesting name!" Mr Rubick chortled at the side.

Magina's composure was visibly shaken as he recognized the voice. Frowning, he answered. "Um…good morning, Professor Aghanim."

The voice continued, loud and clear. "Please come to my office immediately, Magina. I want to speak to you about an offence you committed yesterday."

"What?" Magina actually started trembling, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. The class broke out in peals of laughter, the loudest coming from Carl in front.

Grinning from ear to ear, Mr Rubick spoke into the phone. "Hey Dad, not now. I'll send him to you later."

"No problem, son," the voice answered before the phone went dead with a beep.

There was a buzz among the students. It was clear that they'd never seen a scene like this, where the substitute teacher was not only unfazed by the troublemakers, but managed to turn the tables on them. They regarded him now not as a vulnerable victim, but with the awe of an audience watching a magician pulling off one trick after another.

Winking at a traumatized Magina, Mr Rubick shushed the class and continued. "Let's get started with the lesson. I heard you're supposed to be doing Biology today, but if you don't feel like doing that, I can teach any subject you want me to. Pick a subject, guys!"

Davion, the brawny basketballer raised a hand and drawled. "How about sex education?"

"Sure, I can teach that," Mr Rubick replied promptly with a sporting grin. "Now before I start, I would like to know if anyone has any burning questions to ask?"

Davion's hand shot up again, a deadpan expression. "I have a question. How can I stop all these girls from wanting to sleep with me?"

Mr Rubick narrowed his green eyes. "Uh… you could just say no?"

"But they just keep coming at me! I've made ten girls pregnant already," Davion exclaimed in a tone of mock exasperation.

"Oh my, looks like you really have a bit of a problem, young man," Mr Rubick remarked with a hint of amusement.

"Yeah I think so too. Is it because I'm simply too awesome? But I can't help myself, you know. What if I get like two hundred girls pregnant? What's the current world record?"

"Well…" Mr Rubick said, almost rolling his eyes. "That uh, doesn't sound like a good idea, you know, knocking up two hundred girls?"

"Hmph, Sir, are you jealous?" Davion asked smugly.

"Rest assured I am not," the teacher replied calmly, before addressing the entire class. "Any more questions guys?"

Carl raised his hand. "This question isn't for myself, but for Magina," he declared, pointing to the purple-clad teen at the back of the classroom. "He likes to jerk off to naked pictures of computer game characters."

"Shut up, sissyboy!" the punk snarled. "I don't do that. You're just making it up!" before spewing a comeback at his nemesis. "You know what? Carl jerks off to pictures of _himself_. How sad is that?"

"Hey I don't!" Carl shouted angrily. "I have a real girlfriend, unlike you!"

"Hmm," Mr Rubick frowned at the blond teen, looking genuinely concerned. "That sounds rather narcissistic, Carl. You might want to get it checked out."

When the snickering had died down, the quirky teacher's tone turned unexpectedly serious. "Okay, since we have a bit of time left, shall we talk more about teenage pregnancy? As we all know, it's becoming a big problem in our society."

The class was quiet, whether because they felt awkward or bored, Traxex wasn't sure. She recalled listening to lectures by her old school teachers, even watching videos about such topics in sex education class. Nevertheless, she was a bit startled when the girl to her left raised a hand. It was Mortred, who rarely asked questions in class.

"Sir, what happens if you know someone who is pregnant?" The girl asked in a timid voice.

"Well… they'll have to decide whether you want to keep the baby," Mr Rubick replied. "I'd say, they should see the school counselor. Why, do you know someone in that situation?"

"Yeah, it's a friend," Mortred said and looked down at her table, a slight blush creeping into her cheeks. Traxex turned and narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the girl in the flowy black dress. _Hmm…. You, too, have a secret?_

The bell sounded, and for once, Traxex lamented that the lesson had come to an end.

"I'm sorry guys I have to go," Mr Rubick announced, dramatically wiping away imaginary tears. "It's been wonderful knowing you all. You've been a grrrrrreat class!" He said animatedly. And then, throwing a glance at the purple-clad punk, he added with a playful chuckle. "And relax, Ma-gina, that was just a joke, about the principal wanting to see you."

"Aw, Mr Rubick, when can we see you again?" Several students cried out, but the eccentric teacher was already prancing out through the door, his ponytail swishing behind him.

* * *

><p>"Does Carl really have a girlfriend?" Traxex could not resist asking Lyralei as they stopped at their lockers.<p>

"Yeah, I know it's hard to believe, but it's true," Lyralei said, relishing her pastime of sharing gossip.

"But who would want to be his girlfriend?" Traxex asked incredulously.

"Well… only a pure and innocent girl like Rylai would fall for someone like Carl," Lyralei eagerly filled in the details.

_Rylai? _Traxex had never seen them behaving like a pair, nor for the life of her imagine that sweet, demure and soft-spoken girl together with the obnoxious Carl.

"But I wouldn't worry for her," Lyralei added with a grin. "She's got her fierce twin sister to protect her."

Traxex closed her locker thoughtfully. This was just an addition to the many unbelievable things about this school she'd seen and heard. An illusionist History teacher, a magician substitute teacher, Mr Nortrom's supposed 'special powers' and the 'ghost' in the library. Were things really what they appeared? She was beginning to wonder if the people around her could really be trusted, or if Lyralei and Shendel were just pulling a fast one on her because she was new. Perhaps, it was time for her to wise up before she became the butt of the jokes.


	8. Multicultural Day

Hi readers, here comes another crazy chapter - inspired by the final match of the recent Dota 2 Asian Championships.

Thanks for all the reviews, especially to Flamestriker for his timely reminders :) Enjoy!

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 8: Multicultural Day<span>**

Traxex stood at her locker gazing around the hallway. School felt different today. The students weren't going into their classrooms as usual, and although most were dressed casually, she noticed some of them walking around in exotic, elaborate clothes. _Another costume parade? _She couldn't recall hearing any announcements yesterday about special events.

"Yay, no lessons today!" Lyralei chirped, depositing her bag in the locker beside hers. Traxex was relieved to see her friend in a simple green blouse and jeans. At least she wasn't the only one without a costume this time.

"So… what's going on?"

"Let's go to the auditorium," the ginger grinned and breezed away while Traxex trailed after her.

The two girls sat next to each other in the spacious assembly hall, which was soon filled with around a thousand students. A large-built man wearing a brown jacket and jeans ambled on stage, his bushy beard and shaggy long hair making him look like some sort of a caveman.

"Morning everyone!" He boomed into the microphone. "Today is our annual Multicultural Day, where we celebrate the ethnic and cultural diversity of our school!"

"Who's that?" Traxex whispered to Lyralei.

"Mr Stonehoof. He teaches geography and organizes this event every year."

The burly geography teacher continued addressing the crowd. "We start off with performances by our students, and then we'll walk around the school looking at the cultural booths set up by our fellow teachers and students. At lunch time, there'll be a food fair at the cafeteria where we'll get to taste different kinds of international cuisine. Ah, but while you're enjoying yourself, don't forget to take notes as you have to submit a one-thousand word report next week."

At the mention of food, Traxex's lips curled into a faint smile, which was soon erased by the thought of the assignment she had to do.

"First up we have Rhasta and Zharvakko, who will present an African voodoo dance," Mr Stonehoof announced. "Let's give them a round of applause!"

Two black students skipped onto stage. Both were shirtless, wearing face paint and skulls around their necks and banging on drums. Rhasta sang in a chanting manner and Zharvakko danced like he was possessed. Their trance-like performance looked a little creepy but entertaining. It was much better than having lessons, anyway.

"Next, our two Japanese exchange students are going to do martial arts demonstrations. Let's welcome Raijin and Yurnero!"

Two guys strode onto the stage wearing martial arts uniforms, one blue and one red. The student in the blue karate gear had a stout figure and wore an Asian conical hat.

"_Ohayo minna-san! Boku wa Raijin desu_!" he introduced himself cheerfully.

The guy who stood beside him in the red kendo uniform was leaner and taller, wore his jet-black hair in a ponytail and was holding a curved sword. His demeanor was more reserved, and he spoke in a low voice into the microphone.

"_Yurnero desu_."

The display of martial arts began. Despite his chubby appearance, Raijin impressed the audience with his karate moves, smashing and kicking bricks with his bare hands and feet. Yunero did a sort of dance with his katana, leaping, whirling and swinging his sword, moving so fast he looked like a blur.

"I think I'm in love," Lyralei gushed dreamily.

"With who?" Traxex looked at the ginger blankly.

"That one with the sword… he's so cute! I'm gonna chat him up later!"

"Good luck," Traxex muttered, slightly amused.

So, when lunchtime arrived, Traxex found herself abandoned by her friend. She didn't mind it that much, deciding to indulge in the variety of food at the cafeteria. Despite her love for eating, she never had to worry about putting on weight the way Lyralei did. She stuffed herself with Indonesian tempeh and chilli, Indian curry, Chinese fried rice offered by a guy called Xin, Greek salad by Zeus, Australian beef pie by Pudge, finishing off with French profiteroles prepared by Mortred.

Feeling full and satisfied, Traxex was about to head home when she remembered the report she had to do. A thousand-word assignment meant that some additional research was needed. _Might as well start now, _she thought as she turned and made her way towards the block housing the computer labs.

The room was empty. Pleased to be alone, Traxex settled herself behind a computer, put down her bag on the chair and was about to turn on the power, when she sensed that there was something not quite right with the surroundings. Everything was in its place... except the shadow in front of her, plastered on the wall. She turned around just to make doubly sure there was nothing behind her. It didn't make sense. Nothing in the room could possibly cast a shadow like that.

It loomed over her at twice her height and was a vaguely humanoid shape. She recalled Shendel mentioning that the library was haunted, but this was the computer lab. What the hell was this thing then? She ran her gaze up along it, her heart starting to pound. And then it moved a little, causing her to jump. It seemed harmless where it was, but she really wasn't sure. With as little movement as possible, she grabbed her bag and slipped out of the room.

Running out in her confused state, she bumped into someone wearing blue karate robes. It was Raijin, the Japanese exchange student who had performed on stage earlier on. He had taken off his hat, revealing dark brown, short, cropped hair, and his round face looked a little startled.

"Sorry!" Traxex said breathlessly as she regained her composure.

Raijin's lips broke into a good-natured grin. "_Daijoubu_!" He said in a loud singsong voice. "My, what happened to you? You look ill!"

"There's…there's something… inside," Traxex gulped, pointing at the door to the computer room.

"Eh?" Raijin raised a brow curiously. "What is it?"

"I don't know… I can only see a shadow of it."

"Aha…. let me check it out!"

"Wait – " before Traxex could continue, the stocky boy had barged into the room. _What an impulsive guy, _she thought, hesitantly following the exchange student. _Isn't he afraid at all?_

The shadow was gone, and she suddenly felt stupid. _Maybe I was imagining things? _And then she realized it was right above her on the ceiling. It slid down slowly to the wall in front of her, pulsating with a life of its own. Raijin's reaction towards it was nothing like what she had expected.

"Oooooh it's you again!" He said, bouncing like a boxer warming up for a fight.

"You've seen it before?" Traxex stared at the boisterous boy in astonishment.

"It showed up in my school too." Raijin seemed to be digging around in his pocket for something, all the while keeping his eyes locked on the black mass on the wall.

"You mean in Japan? Is it hos – "she froze in horror when she noticed that the shadow had grown an arm, a black, scraggy, claw-like thing that was coming out of the wall towards her.

"Move!" She felt Raijin push her forcefully and she fell. Scrambling to her feet, she was about to curse at him for being so rough, but stopped when she heard something breaking. The computer monitor she was previously standing behind was now a wreckage of glass, plastic and metal. _The shadow did that? Without touching it? _She trembled at the realization that had Raijin not shoved her out of the way, the broken computer could have been her.

"Stay low and get out of the room!" Raijin shouted. "I'll handle it."

"No, I'll help you," Traxex said. _But how? _Keeping near the floor as advised, she crawled towards one of the computer tables hoping to hide under it. Venturing a peek, she saw that the shadow's arm had retreated into itself. The entity had returned to its two-dimensional state, but it was now moving around, as if following her.

"Hey, hey, over here!" Raijin darted around the room in a bid to distract the shadow. This worked, as it had now given up on her and was now chasing after him. Fortunately, the whole dark mass seemed to be confined to the walls.

Crouching under the table, Traxex searched her bag for the slingshot that Lyralei had given her. The sound of glass shattering made her grimace and she peeked out to see that yet another computer had been destroyed. Raijin was still zipping around the room like a bee, and for a second she marvelled at how someone so large could move so fast.

She finally found her slingshot and loaded it with a ball bearing, feeling thankful that she had decided to bring it along even though she knew such weapons were banned in school. Raijin, too, seemed to be searching all over his karate uniform for a weapon, muttering, "_Kuso_! Did I bring it here or not?"

Now Traxex decided to keep the shadow busy. Bolting upright, she fired the slingshot at where she guessed its head was. The metal ball bounced off the wall. The shadow gave a shudder, seeming more agitated than anything.

"Aha! Found it!" Raijin said, holding what looked like a cell phone. _A phone? _Traxex groaned in disappointment. _What's he going to do? Call the cops? _A gasp escaped when she saw the shadow hovering directly above her on the ceiling, spindly arm outstretched, its claw flexing as though it was grasping for something.

"Over here now!" Raijin's strident voice prompted the shadow to change its target. The Japanese boy didn't back down, instead, he pointed his phone at the ceiling and pressed a button. There was a click as a pair of needles with thin wires trailing shot out, followed by a harsh crackling sound as electricity arced between them. The shadow's arm quickly retracted, melting into itself.

Traxex widened her eyes in surprise at the device Raijin was holding. It had turned out to be some kind of electroshock weapon. _What's this, a Taser disguised as a phone?_

"How you like that, huh? Zip Zap!" Raijin taunted the shadow he had presumably injured, looking extremely pleased with himself. Like a tireless ball of energy, he resumed running around and doing somersaults all over the computer lab.

"What are you doing?" Traxex asked, starting to feel giddy at his antics and cringing as a third computer broke. "You trying to make it angrier?"

"I'm trying to - ooh yes! Stay there, good boy!" Raijin shouted gleefully. The shadow was now on the front wall, positioned behind an electrical outlet beside the teacher's table. She realized that Raijin had planned to lure it to that very spot. Chuckling, he aimed his Taser phone, this time not at the shadow, but at the power outlet. "_Shinjimae_!" he shouted and fired at it. There was a loud bang followed by the hiss and crackle of electric current as the shadow writhed, gripped by the power surge. The black mass convulsed for a few more seconds and finally exploded in a shower of black sparks. Flames erupted from the electrical outlet.

Traxex snapped out of her dazed state and ran to grab the fire extinguisher. The walls were clear now; there was no sign of the shadow.

"It's gone? Just like that?" Traxex coughed as she put out the fire with the help of Raijin, staring at the black sooty mess that was the aftermath. "Where did it come from?"

"No idea," Raijin shrugged, slipping his innocent-looking phone back into his pants pocket. "Maybe it came here through some kind of portal! Did you just use the computer?"

"I didn't even turn it on," Traxex frowned. "That shadow was here before I came. Many kids use the computer every day anyway and nothing happens."

"Well, my physics teacher said it's not so simple to trigger the portal," Raijin rubbed his double chin thoughtfully. "Nobody knows how it works."

"You said it appeared in your school?"

"Yeah. We sometimes hear about people dying from playing computer games in the news. They say the deaths are from heart attacks, but some of us believe it's the shadow fiend that takes away their souls."

"And that's why you have that stun gun disguised as a phone with you?"

"Yeah! Cool huh? What's your name, by the way?"

"Traxex."

"Track-sex? Hee hee what's that mean?"

"I don't know. What does yours mean then?"

"The Japanese god of thunder and lightning," Raijin puffed out his chest proudly.

The door sprang open and the burly Mr Stonehoof stepped in, mouth agape at the disaster zone that lay before him.

"What on earth just happened?" The geography teacher growled, hands on his hips. "Three broken computers, and - there was a fire? You two thrashed the entire computer lab?"

"It wasn't us! There was a… a monster in the room," Traxex struggled to put what she'd just experienced into words.

"Nice story, but you two still get detention," Mr Stonehoof ordered, looking totally unconvinced.

"Sorry, I can't go for detention," Raijin quipped light-heartedly. "I'm flying back to Japan tonight!"

"Then I'll let your principal know about this." Mr Stonehoof next turned his angry gaze towards Traxex. "And you, young lady, will serve detention after school."

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><p>(End of chapter)<p>

That's all for now folks :) Feedback most welcome.

Stonehoof = Earthshaker

Rhasta = Shadow Shaman

Zharvakko = Witch Doctor

Raijin = Storm Spirit

Yurnero = Juggernaut

Shadow = Shadow Fiend


	9. Detention

Hi readers! Continued thanks for all the feedback and suggestions. I will try to accommodate your requests for certain heroes (e.g. Dazzle has been mentioned twice, so he will appear next chapter). Some heroes may take longer to appear.

This chapter and the next will be darker than the previous ones.

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 9: Detention<strong>

Traxex didn't mind having detention, the reason being that it was held at night in the library, which was where she wanted to be anyway. Besides the woods, the library was another quiet sanctuary for her, where she could withdraw from the stresses of life and sort out her thoughts. All those rumors about it being haunted didn't spook her so much now, since she had survived the encounter with the sinister shadow fiend just a day ago.

And so tonight, she settled herself in the study corner and set about doing some homework. Dragonus was sitting opposite her with his nose in a book, as always. Behind the glass doors to her left, Mr Nortrom - the designated babysitter for students who had to stay back in the library for whatever reason – was marking papers inside the separate study room.

_What if that monster comes back again and hurts someone?_

The problem was, nobody else knew about the encounter except Raiijin, who had returned to Japan before she could ask him more questions. This meant that nobody was likely to believe her. The first person she'd tried to talk to was Lyralei, but the ginger's response had been to rave about what a great bod Yurnero had, and how thrilled she was that the handsome Japanese exchange student was going to extend his stay for another year. Basically, the ginger had become so smitten with Yurnero that she wouldn't have cared if aliens came and abducted all her friends.

The clock on the tower struck ten.

"Detention's over."

She snapped out of her thoughts when she realized Mr Nortrom was speaking to her. Looking up at the bespectacled math teacher, she ventured, hopefully.

"Sir, do you mind if I talk to you about something? It's important."

He raised his eyebrows. "How important?"

"It's… a matter of life and death."

Nortrom assessed her for a few moments with his penetrating blue eyes, and motioned for her to go in. Inside the study room, she related the entire incident about the shadow fiend to him, including Raijin's ideas about a possible portal to another dimension. He took in every word without interrupting, his face unreadable. When she ended, he leaned back against his chair, a frown creasing his brows.

"Well, I have never heard of an incident like this happening in our school," he replied. "I could have a talk with Professor Boush about this, but as you know, our science professor is incredibly busy teaching two subjects, doing research and attending conferences. It would be helpful if you had some evidence to prove what you just told me_._"

"So… you don't believe me either?" The teenager frowned in dismay.

Nortrom held her gaze steadily. "If I didn't believe you, this conversation would have been much shorter," he answered in a measured tone. "Assuming that what you said is true, there is still nothing much we can do at this point. All I can tell you is to avoid going anywhere alone in school, especially in enclosed spaces like computer labs."

She pursed her lips and muttered her thanks. After all, what he'd said made sense - the teachers couldn't be testing every single computer when nobody had a clue how the shadow had gotten in, nor could they close the entire lab simply based on what she had said.

Returning to the study area, she saw that Dragonus was gone. The library was now empty except for her, and Nortrom who remained in his room.

_His dead ex-girlfriend._

Shendel's words made her more curious than anything. Had Shendel seen _her_ and if so, what did _she_ look like? While packing her things, Traxex surveyed her surroundings. The lighting was confined to the study area; the reference section at the other side of the room was unlit, with rows of ceiling-high bookshelves that seemed to stretch endlessly into the darkness. It looked like a suitable hiding place.

Something moved among the shelves.

Holding her breath, she inched towards the reference section. A little black creature fluttered its wings and vanished in the dark maze of shelves. _Was that… a bat?_ She moved closer to ascertain what it was, but there was nothing unusual among the rows of voluminous encyclopedias and dictionaries. Maybe Shendel had been making a fuss over a harmless bat lurking in the shadows.

She heard the glass doors open and instinctively darted behind a shelf. Peeking through the empty slots between books, she saw Nortrom appear holding some files. As he passed by her hiding place, she stood stiffly trying to keep her breathing steady and soundless. _Maybe I should just stop being silly. _Back in her old school, she had always scoffed at those classmates who stalked their teachers, but here she was, doing the same thing.

He approached the main door, and still, nothing happened. The lights went off with a click, and panic gripped her. She had to get out _now_, or be locked in.

But then the sounds started, the flapping of wings and tiny squeaks, freezing her to the spot. And then a cold draft made her shiver and hug herself. Darkness smothered her, heightening her senses. Her own heartbeat was so loud, she was sure whoever in the room could hear it. Her eyes strained to make out the shapes of tiny, winged creatures that had filled the air. How many of them were there? It could be hundreds, or thousands… There was no sound from Nortrom, but she knew he was still there. He _had_ to be there.

The sounds of fluttering and squeaking faded, and were replaced by a disembodied voice. A deep, accented feminine voice that could have been described as sensuous, if not for the fact that no human could have produced such a sound – it was like a chorus speaking in unison.

"How have you been, _mon amour_?"

In contrast, Nortrom's words sounded clear and sharp. "Stop calling me that."

_If only I could see their faces._ Traxex stared intently into the pitch black in front of her. Something was glowing faintly, coming to life. The translucent, luminous mass took the shape of a woman with her back turned to her. Bony shoulders with sallow green flesh, tattered purple clothing, tendrils of jade-green hair, floating and pulsing with unnatural energy… it was all Traxex could see from her limited vantage point.

"Ah, I apologize, _chéri._ Old habits die hard."

"Why do you keep coming back? Aren't you where you always wanted to be?" Nortrom seemed to be making a conscientious effort at sounding calm and rational.

"Yes, indeed," crooned the unearthly voice. "The netherworld has welcomed me with open arms, and I have many friends and sisters here," and then it turned wistful. "But every now and then, I think of you."

"Leave me alone, please. It took years for me to get my life back to normal." Irritation had seeped into his unruffled voice.

The response was a mocking, hissing cackle that sounded like dead leaves scraping together. "This… is what you call a _normal_ life? Staying in the library till late every night?"

"I'm here to do my work."

Another round of mirthless laughter, followed by words dripping with sarcasm. "_Vraiment? _It looks like you are here to spend time with beautiful young girls with flowing white hair."

The taunting had worked. Nortrom raised his voice, his irritation turning to anger. "What the hell are you implying? You saw it. Nothing but business."

"Even if it weren't… _eh bien, _there's nothing I can do, anyway. You have forgotten me."

"Look, I tried putting up with you when you became obsessed with your psychic powers. But when you tried to kill yourself again and again, I couldn't take it anymore."

"Oh, _mon chéri,_ I am truly sorry," lamented the ghost. "I was too bent on knowing the secrets of the dead. I've been a terrible girlfriend… there is so much I regret! Oh, how I miss the old days, when you gave up your doctorate studies for me."

A long silence stretched between them. Having stayed in the same position for some time, Traxex felt her legs cramping up and shifted slightly to make herself more comfortable. The move produced a small creaking sound from the shelf, causing her to wince. To her relief, it seemed to have gone unnoticed.

"Well, I might just go back to doing that." The calm had returned to Nortrom's voice.

"What's stopping you? You said you didn't like teaching high school kids because they're so rowdy."

"Not in my class. I was given all the rowdy classes to fix, after word got around that I could get them all to shut up."

"Have you been using your powers on them?"

"…not much anymore," he lowered his voice uneasily.

"Ahh… what a pity. Imagine what you could do, messing with the brain waves of innocent, young girls. What a _wonderful _way to use your powers."

That was Nortrom's snapping point. "Krobelus! That's a major insult to me," he seethed.

"Just a joke, _chéri_. You need to lighten up."

"You're insane."

"But of course, I am," a hollow giggle echoed around the room. "And I blame these beautiful gifts…ah… I wonder if there are other people like you and me?"

"I don't know."

"You may not appreciate my gifts, but there is something I must tell you…about your death."

"That's enough," he cut her off with a tone of finality. "I don't want to know the future if I can't change it. Just go away, and don't ever bother me again."

"Very well," The whimsy in the ghost's voice had faded into resignation. "If this is what you say… then so be it." The ethereal purple and green figure hovered in its place for a moment, and then it began to dissolve at the edges, as if the darkness was chewing at it. The fluttering of bats returned, and the darkness had turned into the little winged beasts, carrying bits and pieces of Krobelus away till there was nothing left except her otherworldly voice.

"_Au revoir, mon amour_…"

Traxex broke free of her reverie. Her mind cried out that Nortrom was leaving, or had left, and she was going to be locked in together with Krobelus for the night. The thought sent a shudder of horror through her. She bolted out of her hiding spot towards the entrance, shouting, "No…wait!" The lights flickered on and Nortrom spun around to stare at her, his face darkening and eyes growing intensely blue.

"What are you doing here? You heard everything?"

"I… was just curious… I didn't understand most of it," Traxex cringed. _He looks angry… he's going to mess with my brain now… please… don't…_

Nortrom merely sighed, his face still set into harsh lines but his voice mild in comparison, carrying no sign of a threat. "I trust that you will forget what you just heard."

The teenager nodded and bit her lip. Her ears were still ringing with the inhuman accented voice, and she forced her breathing to return to normal.

In the same even tone, Nortrom continued. "For your own sake, do try to be more sensible. Detention isn't an excuse to sneak around in school." Tapping his watch for emphasis, he added, "Especially at midnight."

"Sorry," Traxex murmured, pulling her hood over her hair. "Guess I'll get going now." And then the feeling of uneasiness she had experienced the last time she'd left the library, crept back like an intruder. Unlike the shadow fiend, which was truly gone after they'd gotten rid of it, this time there was still the sensation of being watched.

She glanced at her teacher without really meeting his gaze directly. "You said not to go anywhere alone… mind if I walk with you to the car park?"

"Not at all," Nortrom replied as he shut the door behind them. "Looks like I'll have to cancel the rest of your seven-night detention," he remarked as he strode out of the Aghanim block with Traxex keeping alongside him, her hands in her pockets, shivering in the cold.

"So you do believe I wasn't the one who trashed the computer lab."

He didn't answer her, instead nodding at the burly security guard patrolling the school grounds. "Mr Banehallow's here. The car park should be safe."

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><p>It was three a.m. Traxex sat on her bed with her knees drawn to her chest, still wide awake. Even her exhaustion could not still the phantasmal images and voices that played over and over in her mind. <em>The netherworld, psychic powers, terrible girlfriend, obsessed with death<em>. Secrets held in the library, things she wasn't supposed to know about – in all honesty she was shocked by her own boldness tonight. Nortrom had let her off, to her surprise, but somehow, she knew this wasn't the end of the matter.

The looping thoughts were interrupted by something else she remembered from the conversation. _Beautiful young girls with flowing white hair_. Had Krobelus been referring to her when she'd said that?

She got out from her bed, padded quietly out into the bathroom next door and switched on the light so she could look at herself in the mirror. This was something she seldom did, since her folks constantly reminded her that she was the odd one out. Her five feet seven, willowy figure towered over them, she was told that her cold and aloof demeanor made the babies cry when she first joined the family, and some of the younger children had flat out called her ugly.

The mirror showed smooth, flawless skin, which she felt was too pale, just like her hair. Symmetrical facial features, but she wanted thinner lips. And lastly her eyes, which she wished for a brighter color. The word 'beautiful' was reserved for girls like Mirana, with her regal features, or Lina, with her vivid amber eyes.

She dragged her tired body back to bed and eventually, drifted off to sleep.

_Running down the stairs in school, stumbling down an endless flight of steps, trying to get away from a swarm of translucent, green wraiths. Wailing and howling like banshees, chasing after her relentlessly. Her legs were weakening but she couldn't stop. Someone in the middle of the spirits was calling for her. "Come to me, ma petite…" it said, caressing her everywhere, not with fingers but with long, thin talons. She wondered what its face looked like, but dared not turn around and look. The spirits surrounded her now, their claws touching her hair, arms snaking around her body. In desperation, she jumped over the stairwell railing…_

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><p>(End of Chapter)<p>

Krobelus = Death Prophet

Note: According to the lore, DP isn't a ghost, although she would very much like to be dead. In my story, she has achieved her objective, so she is well and truly dead.


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